My dog's chewing everything... Help!

Destructive chewing can be expensive and frustrating to cope with but is usually a result of something missing from your dog’s daily routine rather than just bad behaviour.

After all, dogs are not naughty by nature. Maybe he needs more mental stimulation or is being left alone for prolonged periods which can cause him stress.

The way to remedy his chewing is to identify the cause, make positive changes and introduce chew toys that he can gnaw on when he feels the need.

Next time your dog has a destructive chewing session ask yourself why:

Is he teething?

If you have a puppy who is chewing, remember that he wants to explore his new world, have fun and discover new things. He does this by having a good look around, sniffing everything in sight and then chewing on the bits he wants to learn more about!

He will also chew to help his new adult teeth through, rid the puppy ones and stop all the pain its causing. Having a total of 42 teeth emerging through those little gums is bound to turn him to chew something he shouldn’t.

Separation anxiety is one of the most common reasons why a dog seems like he is being destructive and naughty at home. He chews for comfort, often it’s a cushion or a shoe, simply because it smells of you – believe it or not Fido likes the smell of your cheesy feet!

As tempting as it might be to get upset with him, you should take a moment and think about how you can help him feel more secure when you are not around.

In times gone by dogs would chew their prey in order to survive, these days our dogs have everything served up on a plate but their natural instinct is still there and if they don’t have real prey to chew on they will hunt the house for something else to gnaw on! Sometimes shoes, remotes, cushions or worse still electrical wires!

No matter what is causing your dog to chew there is always a solution, providing him with a variety of toys to chew on can help to prevent inappropriate chewing on your possessions. Some dogs will be content with a soft, squeaky toy; whereas other will need something much stronger and more durable like the a Nylabone.

To stop the unwanted chewing you must commit to teaching your dog what is and what is not an acceptable chew toy. Its no good giving him an old shoe to chew and then shouting when he picks up one of your new wellies, he won’t know the difference and shouting at him will just confuse him, or worse still, frighten him.

Make sure you keep your house well organised and ensure that your possessions are kept out of harms way – if it’s not in reach, it can’t be chewed!